Beef Stew

I'm movin' another recipe over from my old blog.  January always makes me think of making a
big pot o' stew, even though we've been having summer weather in these here parts.  As soon as
it cools down, I'm making this:

Recipe from The Best Slow and Easy Recipes.




Classic Beef Stew

1 (3 1/2 to 4lb) boneless beef chuck eye roast, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
salt and pepper
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 medium onions, minced
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp minced fresh thyme (or 1 tea dried)
3 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine (Cotes du Rhone)
1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/4 cups low-sodium beef broth
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 lb red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 lb carrots, peeled and sliced 1-inch thick
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/4 minced fresh italian parsley leaves

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Pat the beef dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 Tbsp of the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add half of the meat and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned, 7 to 10 minutes, reducing the heat if the pot begins to scorch. Transfer the browned beef to a medium bowl. Repeat with 1 Tbsp more oil and the remaining beef; tranfer to the bowl.

2. Add the remaining 1 Tbsp oil to the pot and place over medium-low heat until shimmering. Add the onions and 1/4 tea salt and cook, stirring often, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the flour and tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the wine, scraping up any browned bits. Gradually whisk in the broths until smooth and bring to a simmer.

3. Stir in the browned meat with any accumulated juices and the bay leaves and bring to a simmer. Cover, place the pot in the oven, and cook for 1 hour. Stir in the potatoes and carrots and continue to cook in the oven, covered, until the meat is tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours longer.
4. Remove the stew from the oven and remove the bay leaves. Stir in the peas, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.


For our family, this makes enough for 2 dinners plus a lunch for hubby.  I like to serve it with corn muffins.